Concerns over Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover
Emphasis on absolute freedom of expression… Possibility of weakening parental control
China may try to bolster its influence by using Tesla business profits as bait
Tesla CEO Elon Musk (CEO, photo) has agreed to take over Twitter, raising concerns over how the world’s richest person will change Twitter.
Mike Ryan, director of health emergency response at the World Health Organization (WHO), said at a press briefing on the 26th (local time), “If you look at this pandemic, good information saves lives, but bad information puts someone in a very bad situation. You can put it in,” he said. WHO has been cooperating with various social media platforms to share information on COVID-19 and vaccines in the face of COVID-19. “When someone gets into a position where they can have a huge impact on the way they share information with the community, they have a big responsibility,” said Ryan.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Musk’s emphasis on absolute freedom of expression among Twitter employees raised concerns that it could undermine Twitter’s longstanding efforts to combat hate speech and fake news online. A Twitter employee, who requested anonymity, told the WSJ: “My colleagues are concerned that the integrated team to monitor content harm could disappear entirely or be significantly reduced.”
There is also the possibility that Tesla’s business in China could lead to a strengthening of China’s influence on Twitter. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos tweeted the day before the announcement of the Twitter takeover deal, “Isn’t China getting some leverage on the town square?” Bezos, however, said in a subsequent tweet that “Tesla is going to have a complicated situation in China,” but Musk is “very good at getting around this complexity.” China is the second-largest seller of Tesla vehicles in the world after the United States. Shanghai, China is home to the world’s largest Tesla production plant. Chinese battery makers are Tesla’s main suppliers.
China banned the use of Twitter in 2009. Nevertheless, the Twitter account of the Chinese state media was used to publicize China’s position on Corona 19 and other issues or to refute foreign media reports. Musk has been on the crossroads several times with comments that exalted the Chinese government on issues at stake in Tesla’s interests.
Fergus Ryan, chief analyst at the Institute for Strategic Policy Research, an Australian think tank, told the WSJ that there are plenty of examples of China’s political concessions as a bait for business interests.
The UK and the European Union (EU) said Twitter would face sanctions if it violates the rules. A UK government spokesperson said Twitter could face fines of up to £18 million or even banned in severe cases if it violates the Online Safety Act, which stipulates the obligation to manage illegal or harmful content online.
